title: Costs of regional and general anesthesia: what the plastic surgeon needs to know.
abstract: Although regional anesthesia techniques seem to expand the opportunity for cost savings when executing plastic surgery procedures, cost allocation is not a simple business. Equivalence must first be demonstrated, and the patient’s perception is integral to assigning value to an intervention. Opportunity costs cannot be ignored when the plastic surgeon assumes the role of the anesthesiologist. Most importantly, the system must be modified to optimize the cost savings realized through the intervention. This article presents an in-depth look into the multiple factors that must be taken into consideration when assessing costs related to anesthesia.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Surgery and Oncology, Hotel Dieu Hospital, Queens University, 166 Brock Street, Kingston, Ontario K7L 5G2, Canada. Electronic address: mckayd1@KGH.KARI.NET.
authors.forename: Douglas R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: McKay
mesh_terms: D000765:Anesthesia, Conduction / Q000191:economics*; D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000191:economics*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D006801:Humans; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000191:economics*
keywords: Anesthesiology; General anesthesia; Health care costs; Local anesthesia; Plastic surgery; Regional anesthesia